Met Office weather maps show warnings in place as Brits prepare to travel for Christmas
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Brits hitting the road this weekend ahead of Christmas face being battered by rain and ferocious winds up to 85mph with Met Office warnings in place. An area of low pressure will cross the far north of the UK on Saturday bringing showers and strong winds across large swathes of the UK, the forecaster said. Yellow wind warnings have been released for the weekend, with one covering Scotland, much of Northern Ireland, North Wales and north-west England between 7am and midnight on Saturday.
Another warning is in place between midnight and 9pm on Sunday, covering Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and all of western England. Winds of up to 85mph could hit coastal areas across northern Scotland on Saturday afternoon and evening, with more widespread gusts of 50-60mph on Sunday.
Road, rail, air and ferry services in Scotland are all likely to be affected by the weather conditions, Transport Scotland said. Met Office deputy chief meteorologist, Rebekah Hicks, said: “This period of disruptive weather coincides with a busy period on UK roads as the festive getaway starts for many.
“The area of low pressure will bring rain and strong winds on Saturday, with a chance of significant disruption especially to transport networks across the north, including the potential for ferry cancellations. The strongest winds are expected across northern Scotland on Saturday afternoon and evening, with the potential for gusts of 80 to 85mph in coastal districts.
“The strong winds will be more widespread on Sunday with gusts of 50-60 mph across much of northern, central and western UK, locally higher for coasts and across high ground.” It comes as drivers have been urged not to travel on major routes for six hours on both Friday and Saturday to avoid the worst Christmas holiday traffic.
